How scientists work at the Zoo
By learning from our animals at the Zoo, our ZSL scientists and conservationists can have an even bigger impact restoring populations across the globe.
We work in over 80 countries to do everything we can to protect wildlife, from world-leading scientific studies to reintroducing extinct-in-the-wild species.
Meet our new tiger, Miron
Celebrate International Tiger Day with us at the Zoo today and tomorrow, as we put on special tiger talks, crafts, games and challenges.
There are just around 350 Amur tigers like Miron remaining in the wild, but through ZSL we’re working in the field to help recover their population.
Meet our newest arrival…🥹
Meet our newest arrival…🥹
We’ve welcomed 26 fallow, eight sika, two barasingha, and 15 extinct in the wild Père David deer in the last four months.
When deer give birth, they hide their newborns in long grass out of sight of predators, so our Zookeeper’s have been checking all the hidden spots in their huge habitat every day to get a tally of all of the newborns.
Squeaking otters
Those squeaks 👌
Many cute videos of otters online are from the exotic pet trade, which is bad news for otters health and their safety in the wild.
But you can get your otter fix without putting them at risk, simply by liking and sharing our videos instead!
Our otters are a part of a conservation breeding programme, are expertly cared for and are given everything they need to thrive.
Rhino skincare routine 🦏
Our rhino’s skincare routine 🦏
Their routine includes an award-winning Stockholm tar application, something our Zookeepers and Vets developed which is now being used all around the world to help rhinos 💪
Go camping at the UK’s biggest Zoo ⛺
Go camping at the UK’s biggest Zoo ⛺
Pitch your tent at the Zoo this summer and go a torchlight expedition searching for wildlife.
Nature Night Camping takes on selected Fridays and Saturdays, from 6.30pm, overnight until 10am, when you will then be free to spend the day in the Zoo.
Find out more 👉 https://www.whipsnadezoo.org/plan-your-visit/zoo-experiences/nature-night-camping
Meerkat’s-eyes view
Join our meerkat family 🎟️
Become a member and get free, unlimited entry to both Whipsnade and London Zoo all year round.
From watching our meerkat family get up to mischief in their huge habitat to seeing lion cubs grow up at London Zoo, get closer to nature all year round.
📸 Zookeeper Maisie
World Giraffe Day is upon us
Join us for a whole host of fun activities for the whole family, celebrating this larger-than-life spceis, From Friday 21 to Sunday 23 June. See you there!
Our most underrated animal?
Most underrated animal at the Zoo? 🦬
European bison almost went completely extinct 100 years ago, but conservation zoos helped save their species.
Help us continue to make a difference for wildlife by supporting our Around the World challenge 👉 https://aroundtheworld.zsl.org
Baby meerkat chaos 🤩
Meerkat pups are born deaf and blind, but they quickly become able to hold their own and will look like adults after just a couple of months.
In the wild scientists have found that meerkat pups are having a much tougher time because of climate change, as increased temperatures cause them to gain weight slower and survive in fewer numbers.
Through our work tackling the climate crisis at @officialzsl, we’re helping protect wildlife across the world.
#WhipsnadeZoo
Happy Pride month! 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
We are holding a whole weekend of Pride activities to celebrate the marvellous diversity of nature.
With every visit, funds are raised to help our science-driven conservation projects worldwide. So making your visit even more vibrant and fun is our excitable Presenter teams’ absolute passion.
Join them this weekend for a whole host of fabulous frivolities.
Meet Sandy, our Railway Volunteer 🚆
Based at Whipsnade, she is one of hundreds of volunteers who donate their time to help inspire the next generation at our conservation Zoos, every single year. We really couldn’t do without the invaluable support offered by such generous supporters, year-round.
This year, we are participating in #TheBigHelpOut. Could one of our Zoos be your ‘happy place’ this weekend, 7-9 June?
Find out more at zsl.org/volunteer
#VolunteersWeek #ThankYou #Volunteering #VolunteersOfIG
Meet Sandy, our Railway Volunteer 🚆
Based at Whipsnade, she is one of hundreds of volunteers who donate their time to help inspire the next generation at our conservation Zoos, every single year. We really couldn’t do without the invaluable support offered by such generous supporters, year-round.
This year, we are participating in #TheBigHelpOut. Could one of our Zoos be your ‘happy place’ this weekend, 7-9 June?
#VolunteersWeek #ThankYou #Volunteering #VolunteersOfI
How to catch a flamingo 🦩
Our Zookeeper’s go to huge lengths to ensure every animal is tiptop shape.
Through these health checks we can advance scientific understanding of their biology and help prepare them for the breeding season.
#WhipsnadeZoo
How to enourage wildlife into your garden 🐝 🐦🦋
It's Love Your Zoo week!
This annual nationwide event by @officialbiaza celebrates the essential contribution of zoos to conservation, science, animal care, and education! 🐾 🌍
We're joining in, helping our visitors this week to make butterfly feeders for their garden and helping to raise awareness of the species living in your back garden, that need your help.
In this video, ectotherms experts show you how to encourage different species into your back garden. At our conservation Zoo, we want our visitors to be inspired by our shared spaces of wonder. With every visit you are helping us save species all around the world.
Find out more at WhipsnadeZoo.org/events
#Whipsnade #WhipsnadeZoo #LoveYourZoo #LoveYourZooWeek #HalfTerm
The challenges of working with a pygmy hippo…
The challenges of working with a pygmy hippo… 🦛
Tapon is able to make lots of choices on how he spends his time across his habitat, and sometimes those choices aren’t always what our Zookeeper’s had in mind.
He’s a part of a European breeding programme, helping us protect the rarest hippo species.
Out in their native Liberia, through ZSL we’ve established stronger conservation measures by working together with our partners and local communities.
Successfully obtaining the first ever photos of pygmy hippos in Liberia through our camera trap project.
Mexican pupfish at Whipsnade Zoo
Ever wanted to watch conservation in action? 🐟
Freshwater fish are found globally in various habitats, but due to pollution, damming and agricultural practises such as water drainage, their natural habitats are getting destroyed. Native to a singular location no larger than your average living room, several species of Mexican pupfish have been listed as extinct in the wild, and it's up to us, along with our partners in the Extinct in the Wild alliance - IUCN, Re:wild and Botanic Gardens Conservation International - to save them from being wiped out forever.
We're home to the first UK freshwater aquarium, dedicated to conserving threatened and extinct in the wild fish. We're currently revitalising the Mexican pupfish with world-class care and breeding management to increase their population size, all with an aim to save them from extinction and eventually release them back into the wild.
Pay us a visit to spot this beautiful and important fish in our aquarium.
The new camel baby
Meet our first camel calf in 8 years! 🐫
Our domestic Bactrian camels act as an ambassador species for their critically endangered ‘cousins’ the wild camel in Mongolia and China, one of the rarest mammals on Earth.
Through ZSL we work protect to protect Mongolia’s wildlife, including the Gobi Desert in the south, where it’s believed there’s only 450 wild camels.
Feeding hippos snacks
Snacks for hippos 🥬🥕🦛
A hippo's jaw is capable of opening up to 150 degrees compared to a human jaw which can open about 50 degrees. Adult hippos have razor-sharp tusks in the lower jaw. Their teeth can grow as long as 50cm and weigh over 1kg!
Come along and feed Lola and Hodor at our Meet the Hippos experiences.
Meet baby Benja
Already over 100kg in weight, baby Benja is always on the go 🦏
He’ll grow to a massive 2.3 tonnes, which is heavier than most cars.
White rhinos are the biggest of all rhinos, and one subspecies is sadly soon going to become extinct, as only two northern white rhinos remain on Earth.
Through ZSL we’re helping safeguard black rhinos in Kenya, and with your support we can continue to recover their population.
